


I didn’t know you could encode a map

by Nat_b_please



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: F/M, Gen, How do you encode a map?, I don’t know a whole lot about codes, Klaus and Violet argued over petty sibling things and you can’t change my mind, Prologue, Siblings, Titles are hard, just some good good family times, kind of?, secret codes, secret organization magic of course, sorry folks Sunny isn’t in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 04:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17318189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nat_b_please/pseuds/Nat_b_please
Summary: I read the first eight or so books in this series a while ago but never finished for some reason? I just finished the Nexflix series with my sister and I am Upset. This is a little thing I wrote to channel all of those pesky feelings.This is the first thing I’m posting on here, so I hope you like it. Please comment your thoughts so I can improve and all of that. Thanks for reading!





	I didn’t know you could encode a map

Beatrice leaned away from the table with a sigh. They’d poured over this map for _hours_ and still couldn’t make any sense of it. The code required a keyword, but that’s all they knew about it.

“What about....macaroon?”

Bertrand adjusted his glasses and shook his head slightly. “It’s the right amount of syllables, but it has double vowels.” He glanced at the paper beside him. “Homeokinesis?”

“It’s the right amount of vowels, but double the syllables. Did we try turning the inside wheel to Delta?”

“Yes. If we did that, the outside numbers wouldn’t add up prime.”

Beatrice sighed again. She knew she recognized this pattern, but without a number or letter or anything, the only thing they had to go off was a single clue and the pages of a comically large dictionary. It’s almost as if the keyword wasn’t a word at all, but a meaningless series of letters, but the first rule of secret codes is to always-

This train of thought was interrupted by shouting outside of the library doors. Happier for the distraction than she would admit, Beatrice got up and opened them.

She was greeted by Klaus, arms crossed and pouting, and Violet, smiling smugly from behind a pair of glasses.

“Violet stole my glasses!” Klaus exclaimed, gesturing at his sister with all of the indignance an eight-year-old could muster.

Violet’s smile grew and she pushed up the noticeably small pair of glasses on her face. “I have no clue what he’s talking about.”

“Violet, come onnnnnnn,” he whined. “I need those to see!!!”

“Violet,” Beatrice said in a warning tone.

Violet sighed dramatically and handed the glasses back to her brother.

“Thank you. Now, what’s this about?”

Violet hopped in place once, like she did when she was very annoyed. “He took my stuff!”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did! I told you not touch it and you did anyway!”

“You wouldn’t let me see it!”

“That’s because it wasn’t done yet and it was _supposed_ to be a special secret, but-“

“Hey now,” Bertrand cut in, barely holding back a smile. “No need to fight. Klaus, if your sister doesn’t want you to touch her things, you should respect that. Violet, you don’t like it when your brother takes your things. Imagine how he feels when you take his glasses.” The siblings glared at each other but nodded.

Beatrice smiled. “Your father’s right. There’s no reason to fight.”

Violet reluctantly held out a hand to her brother. “M’sorry,” she muttered.

Klaus took her hand and shook it up and down forcefully, which made both children giggle. “Me too,” he said.

With small smiles to their parents, they ran off, already talking about Violet’s new project. Beatrice laughed softly and closed the doors.

They sat down, planning to get back to work, but Bertrand was miles away. “Do you think...” He dismissed the unfinshed thought with the wave of his hand. “Oh, never mind. It’s not important.”

“Those who hesitate end up lost, Bert,” Beatrice replied. Bertrand wrinkled his nose at the old nickname and she laughed.

“Well, spit it out then,” she said, gently nudging her husband.

He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, finally turning to look at her, he asked, “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

Beatrice snorted. “Of course. It’s just a little scuffle, it’s hardly worth worrying over.”

Bertrand rolled his eyes, but when he talked he was very serious. “I know that, I mean- well, what with the schism and all...” he trailed off.

Beatrice moved closer to him and brought him into a hug, which was a little awkward since he was sitting and she wasn’t. “Darling, everything will be fine. Whatever happens, we’ll be there to protect them and- and even if we aren’t-“ she spoke more forcefully when he opened his mouth to protest, “-they’re smart and resourceful kids with no shortage of friends and allies.”

Bertrand smiled uncertainly and leaned more heavily into the strange embrace. “I suppose you’re right.”

Beatrice grinned and maneuvered them both so that she could kiss her husband. It was sweet, full of reassurance and love. Bertrand smiled into it before leaning back and clapping his hands together once. “Now, let’s sort out this code, shall we?”

“Let’s,” Beatrice replied in an obnoxiously snobby voice. Her husband laughed and squinted down at his notes.

After a few moments of pleasant silence, he looked up again, something unlike horror on his face. “Darling, honey, love of my life, my partner in crime, my flashlight in a poorly lit tunnel...you spelled definite with _four_ i’s. How did you even _manage_ that??”

“What does it matter? Spelling doesn’t count.”

“Spelling most certainly counts! This is a letter-based code!”

“Those notes have nothing to do with the keyword!”

The light bickering and laughter of the couple rang out cheerfully into the mild summer night. Not too long later, an unthinkable tragedy would befall the Baudelaire family that would lead to deception, double crossing, and, unfortunately, death.

This night, however, all was well.

**Author's Note:**

> I read the first eight or so books in this series a while ago but never finished for some reason? I just finished the Nexflix series with my sister and I am Upset. This is a little thing I wrote to channel all of those pesky feelings. 
> 
> This is the first thing I’m posting on here, so I hope you like it. Please comment your thoughts so I can improve and all of that. Thanks for reading!


End file.
